


Not the Future She Expected

by sanctum_c



Series: Fall Festival 2019 [7]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Cloud can hear the voice of the Planet but its not necessarily a good thing, F/M, Hearing Problems, Post-Canon, Tinnitus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27125401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Meteor is destroyed. But while the world rebuilds, Cloud's hearing worsens.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Series: Fall Festival 2019 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979914
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Not the Future She Expected

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'sweater weather'

The problem started with what seemed like tinnitus. A small complaint; Cloud mentioned it off-hand once what remained of the Highwind made it to Midgar. A faint ringing. Could have come from numerous causes. Multiple trips into the Lifestream, the roar of Holy bursting from the North Crater, the explosions as the Highwind shed sections, the destruction of Meteor-

No matter. He worked alongside Tifa, alongside Avalanche in the renewed evacuation of Midgar. Helping the populace became the focus of so much of their time; moments alone with each other few and far between given cramped, temporary sleeping arrangements, and communal sleeping for warmth.

“I was thinking about after.” Tifa kept her voice to a whisper, her lips close to Cloud’s ear.

“Hmm?” Cloud jammed a finger in his ear and frowned. “Sorry; I missed that.”

“Ringing still there?”

“Yeah.” He shook his head. “Sorry. You were saying?”

“We could try and find a doctor-“ Cloud tensed at the word. “-but I think there’s a few too many emergency cases. Anyway.” Careful glance around; everyone else seemed to be sleeping. Marlene curled into Barret’s arms, Nanaki resting against his side. Vincent nowhere in sight – not a surprise. “Once things are settled, I-“ Deep breath. “Wondered about finding somewhere to live in Kalm.” She hurried on. “Like. Maybe another bar or a restaurant or- Something. And I-“ Because they slept together. Because they realised they – unlike their friends – had no one else left. Because their home was gone and replaced with a bad copy. “-wondered if you’d like to join me?”

Cloud blinked slowly, his breathing unchanged. An eternity passed. “Okay.”

Okay. For Cloud at least this would do. Tifa grinned and shuffled closer; he actually put his arms around her without prompting. A hope for the future, an aspiration for after the city was clear; with no one lost or starving, injured or dying.

If only things could be so simple.

Clearing Midgar took whole months. Kalm absorbed and overflowed with people. Some made the painful marches South to circle around to Junon and relatives there or overseas. Cid made repeated flights to shuffle people around but there were so many asking so much of him and the Highwind. New housing put up hurriedly in Kalm and the edges of the city sprawled outwards. Establishing a home within the burgeoning city was tricky coming to the process so late. There were other bars, other restaurants already. Not something unfamiliar – not as if the Seventh Heaven had a monopoly before.

Word of mouth spread and Tifa’s establishment found its feet. Avalanche drifted in when circumstances allowed. They drifted apart physically but stayed in touch.

And still something distracted Cloud. Was the ringing becoming worse? Calling to him would see him miss the starts of conversations. He would stare intently at her lips as they talked. He set the radio to uncomfortably high volumes. It took some time to get him to see a doctor – and only with her accompanying him. Acute tinnitus was the prognosis. Should be treatable.

Instead it worsened; Cloud’s hearing all but lost. The changes to him forced other accommodations. Sign-language – and Cloud became increasingly competent at reading lips. They coped as the affliction took a near physical toll on him. So many painkillers to get through the day.

Until an unexpected culprit reared its head. Cloud still suffered from some degree of wanderlust – anxious to keep moving and without the inexorable pull of Jenova to tug him to wherever Sephiroth wanted him. Eighth Heaven's income included money from Cloud as a jack of all trades; monster fighting, repairs, deliveries. Cloud would do what he needed to, no single career ever tying him down. One of this deliveries took him to the North and Bone Village.

“Tifa.”

“Cloud?” He was calling her on the phone. He never called – what would be the point? All their distant communication was by text.

“I can hear you!” He sounded so happy.

“You- How?”

“I don’t know. It- It hurts less here.”

Geographically a curious situation with a few all too plausible explanations. “Do you think its because you’re near the city?”

“Could be. I- I want to find out. I’m going to go there. See if that stops it.”

Tifa swallowed awkwardly. “Okay.” If it did stop the pain, what then? What did it mean for them?

“I’ll be back. I promise.”

“And I want you to come back. But if you feel better there-“ The complexities of the situation, of distances, of the sheer implication of what happened weighed heavily after she hung up. How plausible was it to live in the remains of a dead city, or the archaeological site nearby? The thought of not relocating never crossed her mind; Cloud was what remained of her family – everyone else still had something or someone else in the world. The last children of Nibelheim had only each other.

He called back after three days – from Icicle Inn. “It’s stopped.”

“Completely?”

“Or so quiet I can’t hear it. Cold though.” That got a chuckle from Tifa. “I went back to Professor Gast’s house. Do you remember the video-“

Oh. “Ifalna said she couldn’t hear the voice of the Planet there.”

“Yeah.” Rattle as he shifted the receiver. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Me too.”

“You’re better at planning. I think I’m going to come back here every so often. See how quickly it comes back or how quickly it goes-“

Tifa interrupted. “I was thinking we could move there.”

“Move? To Icicle Inn?” A hitch in his voice.

“Yes. Remote, but there are people there. There is a town. Might not get visitors all that often but-“

Cloud protested. “But what about the bar? Your friends?”

"Our friends." Tifa smiled. “It’ll be a strain. But you sound so much happier there. Can’t expect you to come back and be in pain. However much you can go back there to relieve it.” Deep breath. “So. I’ll start making arrangements. And maybe someone can figure out a cure, or the ringing will come back slow like it did at first.” Tifa shook her head. “Either way.”

“Thank you. I’ll- I’ll look into somewhere to stay. See if Cid can help move things.”

“Okay.” A lot to do as quickly as possible. “Give me a call later.”

“Will do.”

Tifa hung up the phone. Not her imagined plans for the future, but still; everything would be fine.


End file.
